Evil Dad Hit w Kid Killer Charges, $60mil Bond Days Before Being Freed| Crime Alert 6AM 11.20.2025

Summary

---

Podcast Summary

Overview

In this episode of Crime Stories with Nancy Grace (Crime Alert 6AM 11.20.2025), the focus is on a series of shocking recent crime cases—including new murder charges against John Skelton (a Michigan father long suspected in the disappearance of his three sons), the brutal death of a young Tennessee boy allegedly at the hands of his father’s girlfriend, and an Alabama man exploiting obituaries to burglarize homes. The episode is driven by the original reporting and grave tone for which Nancy Grace’s platform is known, spotlighting law enforcement efforts and the devastating impact of crime on families.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Michigan Father John Skelton Charged with Murder (00:00–04:37)

• Background: John Skelton, previously imprisoned for detaining his children and refusing to return them to their mother, was about to be released from prison after serving time for custodial interference.
• New Developments: Just before his release, Skelton is charged with the premeditated murders of his three sons—Andrew (9), Alexander (7), and Tanner (5)—who have been missing since Thanksgiving 2010.
• Digital Evidence: Investigators unearth disturbing internet searches on Skelton’s devices, including inquiries about poisons and methods of homicide.
  • Quote (Investigator, 02:54):
    "Part of the searches included the search for potassium cyanide. The availability of prussic acid. Is rat poison tasteless and odorless? Can rat poison kill a person? Is it odorless and tasteless? Those were the search terms."
• Police Determination:
  • Lt. Renee Gonzalez (01:49):
    "It was never our intention just to close this case and be happy that he did 15 years. We want him to answer up for the murder of these three boys."
• Additional Details:
  • After the boys vanished, Skelton reportedly attempted suicide and left a cryptic note: "You will hate me,"—interpreted as an admission of guilt.
  • False claims by Skelton that the boys were "hibernating until they graduate" have been discredited.
  • Skelton now faces a $60 million bond ahead of his Nov. 24 preliminary hearing and life in prison if convicted.

---

2. Tennessee Child Murder: Girlfriend Accused of Torture & Killing (05:39–08:50)

• Incident: 3-year-old Kevin Horton is killed while in the care of Dominica Mosby, his father’s girlfriend.
• Father’s Devastation:
  • Keith Horton (via Fox 13, 05:56):
    "I get to the house, he's standing outside. I got the fire department people in the house. I go in there, see my son."
• Events:
  • Mosby initially lied about the boy’s condition, claiming illness.
  • Under questioning, she confessed to burning Kevin’s ear with a lit cigarette after he urinated on the floor, escalating to burning his genitals with a lighter, and finally stomping on his stomach and beating him.
  • The medical examiner found blunt force trauma, internal bleeding, extensive bruising, and thermal injuries as causes of death.
• Ongoing Investigation: Mosby remains in custody without bond, and prior suspicions of abuse are being further scrutinized.

---

3. Alabama ‘Dirt Nap’ Burglar Exploits Obituaries (08:51–09:10)

• Crime Scheme: Peter Petiti is arrested for targeting homes of recently deceased individuals by monitoring obituaries and social media to rob them while families attended funerals.
• Outcome: He was apprehended during a traffic stop, his bond has been revoked, and he faces burglary charges.
• Colorful Commentary:
  • Jennifer Gould (08:57):
    "He waited for residents to check out to the funeral before he checked in to steal Juul's electronics and heirlooms. That’s literally grave robbing… Petiti tried to turn mourning into money, but now this uninvited guest will be shacking up in the slammer instead."

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Justice for the Skelton Boys:

  • Lt. Renee Gonzalez (01:49):
    "It was never our intention just to close this case and be happy that he did 15 years. We want him to answer up for the murder of these three boys."

• On Digital Evidence and Motive:

  • Investigator (02:54):
    "Is rat poison tasteless and odorless? Can rat poison kill a person? Is it odorless and tasteless? ... Definite interest in finding something that could harm or kill someone."

• On the Tennessee Child’s Brutal Death:

  • Father, Keith Horton (05:56):
    "I get to the house, he's standing outside. I got the fire department people in the house. I go in there, see my son."

• On the Alabama ‘Dirt Nap’ Burglar:

  • Jennifer Gould (08:57):
    "That’s literally grave robbing... No condolence cards for this crook."

---

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------------| | Michigan Father John Skelton Charged | 01:09 – 04:37 | | Skelton’s Search History & Admission | 02:54 – 03:16 | | Tennessee Child Death: Father’s Testimony | 05:56 – 06:01 | | Details of Child’s Torture and Murder | 05:39 – 08:50 | | Alabama ‘Dirt Nap’ Burglar | 08:51 – 09:10 |

---

Tone and Language

The episode is direct, urgent, and unflinching in both reporting and commentary, using lurid metaphors and evocative language ("gut punch act of justice," "dirt nap drama," "you will hate me" note) to highlight the severity and emotional toll of the crimes.

---

Conclusion

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace delivers a relentless, at times shocking, update on grim criminal cases making national headlines. Through Jennifer Gould’s reporting and firsthand accounts from investigators and victims’ families, listeners get a visceral sense of the stakes for both justice and community safety. The episode leaves listeners with clear calls to action: follow for more updates and keep informed about ongoing investigations.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

This is an Iheart podcast.

[Advertisement Voice]

It starts like any other night. The glass of red, the cozy blanket, then the drop. The stain so dark, so stubborn it might as well have been a crime scene. But this isn't your average couch. This is Anna Bay. Fully washable, unspeakably comfortable and ready for whatever your life, your kids or your ex throws at it. And here's the kicker. Starting at just 6:99, you can make sure your sofa isn't part of the problem. Fully washable, stain resistant and built to hide even the darkest defenses. Right now, get up to 60% off in black Friday savings because no one should have to live with a stain that won't quit. Anna Bay the only mystery you won't be losing sleep over shop washablesofas.com today. That's washablesofas.com crime alert hourly update Breaking crime news now.

[Jennifer Gould]

I'm Jennifer Gould. A Michigan father about to walk free after serving time for imprisoning his three young sons just got slapped with a gut punch act of justice almost a year to the day those boys disappeared. John Skelton, 53, the dad who spun a decade long lie about his boys being in an underground sanctuary, was just charged with their premeditated murders, a bombshell reveal driven by his own chilling digital footprint. Michigan State Police Lt. Renee Gonzalez spoke to Inside Edition.

[Lt. Renee Gonzalez]

It was never our intention just to close this case and be happy that he did 15 years. We want him to answer up for the murder of these three boys.

[Jennifer Gould]

Skelton now faces three counts of open murder and three counts of tampering with evidence in the Deaths of Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, prosecutors announced just days before his scheduled release from Bellamy Creek correctional facility on November 29. His prison stint stemmed from his refusal to return the boys to their mom. But Tanya Zovers After a disastrous Thanksgiving custody visit in 2010, explosive details from County Prosecuting Attorney Jacqueline Wise's probable cause affidavit lay bare a portrait of calculated, sinister deception in the frantic week leading up to the boys 11-25-26 Vanishing Investigators found Skelton had scoured the Internet for different ways to kill a person. Listen.

[Investigator]

Part of the searches included the search for potassium cyanide. The availability of prussic acid. Is rat poison tasteless and odorless? Can rat poison kill a person? Is it odorless and tasteless? Those were the search terms.

[Podcast Host]

What does that mean to you?

[Investigator]

Definite interest in finding something that could harm or kill someone.

[Jennifer Gould]

The crime scene at his home was found in utter disarray after a botched suicide attempt landed him in the hospital. Police later discovered a haunting note to Zoovers that simply read, quote, you will hate me, end quote, which FBI agents now interpret as a veiled admission tied directly to the slayings. This new evidence shatters Skelton's 15 year charade of claiming his sons were merely, quote, unquote, hibernating until they graduate, end quote. Despite exhaustive searches, the boy's remains remain cruelly elusive. Skelton, who offered zero leads at a March court hearing where his sons were declared legally dead, was arraigned. The father was slapped with a staggering $60 million bond, ensuring he stays locked up at the county jail as he awaits a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 24. If convicted, Skelton faces life behind bars for the murder of the three boys. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on your favorite podcast app. Also watch Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Fox One and YouTube. More crime and justice news after this.

[Advertisement Voice]

It starts like any other night. The glass of red, the cozy blanket, then the drop. The stain's so dark, so stubborn, it might as well have been a crime scene. But this isn't your average couch. This is Anna Bay. Fully washable, unspeakably comfortable and ready for whatever your life, your kids or your ex throws at it. And here's the kicker. Starting at just $699, you can make sure your sofa isn't part of the problem. Fully washable, stain resistant and built to hide even the darkest defenses. Right now, get up to 60% off in black Friday savings because no one should have to live with a stain that won't quit. Annabe the only mystery you won't be losing sleepover shop washablesofas.com today that's washable sofas.

[Jennifer Gould]

A tot in Tennessee was allegedly subjected to a savage night of torture that ended with his brutal execution, police say, at the hands of his father's own girlfriend. Kevin's devastated father, Keith Horton, spoke to Fox 13 News.

[Podcast Host]

I get to the house, he's standing outside. I got the fire department people in the house. I go in there, see my son.

[Jennifer Gould]

He ice cold, he purple Dominica. Mosby, 29, is now caged in Memphis facing first degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges in the slaying of little Kevin Horton. The detailed in charging documents unfolded after Kevin's dad left the three year old boy in Mosby's care. Mosby initially lied, claiming the boy was sick and vomiting, a claim vehemently denied by Kevin's aunt who had dropped him off and quote, put perfect health, end quote. Mosby later broke, admitting she first pressed a lit cigarette into the toddler's ear when the child, writhing in pain, urinated on the floor. She retaliated with calculated cruelty, using a lighter to inflict burns on his genitals. Investigators revealed the savage assault escalated to a murderous climax when the frustrated Mosby said she stomped on Kevin's stomach with the heel of her boot and repeatedly pummeled his torso and chest with open and closed fists because he wouldn't lie down. The Shelby county medical examiner's report confirmed the child's death was a homicide resulting from blunt force trauma and thermal injuries, noting a lacerated liver, internal bleeding in the abdomen, extensive bruising across his small body and severe burns to his ear and genitals. The fatal attack occurred sometime before 3am when Mosby finally called police, claiming she woke up to find the boy unresponsive. The aunt, who had noticed prior suspicious marks on the boy, including a split lip and deep cheek bruises, also told investigators the prior injuries were were inconsistent with rough play, suggesting a pattern of abuse. Mosby remains in Shelby County Jail, held without bond. The investigation continues. And finally, a case of dirt nap drama in Alabama. Peter Petiti, 40, is locked up after running the most despicable six feet under hustle ever. Police say this serial burglar wasn't using a simple map. He was using obituaries and Facebook to target homes where residents had just passed away. He waited for residents to check out to the funeral before he checked in to steal Juul's electronics and heirlooms. That's literally grave robbing. Petiti, who was already out on bond, was busted again during a traffic stop in Alabaster. His bond has been revoked and he's facing burglary charges. Petiti tried to turn mourning into money, but now this uninvited guest will be shacking up in the slammer instead. No condolence cards for this crook. For the latest crime and justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this crime Alert, I'm Jennifer Gould.

[Podcast Host]

This is an I Heart podcast.